The Hopkins County Echo (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 200, No. 49, Ed. 1 Friday, December 8, 1995 Page: 1 of 4
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VOL 200 — NO. 49
SULPHUR
Adams files for sheriff
. 8, 1995
4 PAGES — 25 CENTS — PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY
By PAMELIA F. ADAMS
A Sulphur Springs police detective
became the first official candidate for
the office of Hopkins County sheriff
Monday.
Det. Charles “Butch” Adams was
the first Democratic candidate to pay
the $600 filing fee to be considered
for the county’s top law enforcement
position during the March 12 primary.
He said he’d like to become sheriff
to help Hopkins County continue
being a safe place to live and raise a
family.
“I’ve wanted to be sheriff for a
long time, which is no surprise to
anyone around here since I’ve already
ran for the position twice,” Adams
said Monday. “I’m hoping that the
third time will be the charm.”
Adams began his career in law
enforcement “right here in Hopkins
County” after completing his educa-
tion at Yantis High School, then Tyler
Junior College.
“I started working for the police
department in
Sulphur Springs
on June 19, 1977,
so I have 18 years —-
of experience |
dealing with the |_
local criminal ele- ADAMS
ment, " Adams
said.
“I think that experience will help
me achieve my goal to serve the citi-
zens of Hopkins County with dedica-
tion and commitment, providing the
best law enforcement possible.”
Weekend brush fire proves tough to
extinguish due to dry fall conditions
By PAMELIA F. ADAMS
A fire south of the Sulphur Springs
area caused by burning brush over the
weekend scorched an extensive
amount of acreage in the Birch Creek
area.
The Texas Forestry Service helped
local firemen battle the grass fire in
Birch Creek that got out of control
shortly after midnight Saturday then
rekindled on Sunday, according to
Sulphur Springs Fire Marshal Charles
Bolding.
“Our men had a terrible time
putting out a grass fire that just
wouldn't stay out, due to the dry
weather conditions experienced in the
county." Bolding said Monday.
Bolding said Sulphur Springs fire-
men Skipper Hurley and Randy
Steele of the department's Attack One
Unit initially answered the call in
Birch Creek off of Interstate 30 on
FM Road 2297 Saturday at 12: LX
a m., but were called back about 2
p.m. Sunday and were there until 6
p.m.
In addition to the state’s forestry
service, city firemen were assisted in
their fire fighting efforts by members
of the Arbala Volunteer Fire Depart-
ment, said Fire Chief Wayman Dard-
en. The amount of acreage involved
in the fire was “extensive.”
Local
jobless
rate falls
Unemployment
at 5.9% for
October
Education heads back to basics
Governor says
trendy new ways
not required
By BRUCE ALSOBROOK
News-Telegram City Editor
Unemployment in Hopkins
County continued to move
downward heading into the hol-
iday season.
The local jobless rate was at
5.9 percent in October, the low-
est figure recorded in the county
since May’s 5.4 percent.
The October rate was also 0.5
percentage points lower than in
the same month in 1994.
The number of people work-
ing in the county was also up
significantly from one year ago.
According to labor force esti-
mates by the Texas Employment
Commission, there were 15,632
people with jobs in Hopkins
County in October compared to
15,007 at the same time one year
ago.
An influx of people seeking
jobs for the holiday season was
evident in October as Hopkins
and the five surrounding coun-
ties reported increases in the
civilian labor force, which
includes all people working or
seeking work.
It was the second month in a
row unemployment fell, but a
repeat of that trend is unlikely
when November’s figures are
tabulated. Only twice since 1985
has the rate fallen from October
to November.
Only one county besides Hop-
kins County reported a decrease
in the unemployment rate from
September to October.
Delta County's jobless figures
decreased significantly in Octo-
ber, falling to 4.5 percent unem-
ployment after a 6.3 percent rate
was recorded in September.
By KYM KLASS
Gov. George W. Bush told a crowd
of educators in Sulphur Springs Mon-
day the state’s public school system is
headed in a new direction — back to
the basics.
“I do not believe in Texas we need
trendy new theories or fancy experi-
ments or feel-good curriculums,” said
Bush, guest speaker at the Northeast
Texas School Board Association fall
dinner meeting at Hopkins County
Regional Civic Center Monday. “The
basics work ... reading, arithmetic and
writing will be the cornerstone for
any job in the state of Texas or in
these United States.”
Bush made his remarks while dis-
cussing the state’s new education
code. Senate Bill 1.
State Sen. Bill Ratliff, who traveled
around the state with Bush Monday,
introduced the governor as he made
Sulphur Springs his last stop in the
state.
Ratliff told approximately 500 stu-
dents, teachers and administrators at
the dinner Texans owe Bush a great
deal of gratitude.
“I assure you that he was there any
time we needed him in the education
battle,” he said. “I think he has
already, in one session, placed him-
self among a very small handful of
great governors in the state of Texas.”
But Bush warns, “we have had a
great legislative session, but we are
just beginning in the state of Texas.”
This “beginning” showed when
Texas Education Commissioner Mike
Moses recently turned down federal
grant money for research on AIDS in
Texas schools, Bush said.
“He’s willing to do things different-
ly if he thinks things aren’t woiking,”
Bush said.
“With my encouragement, he
turned back federal money ... because
the federal government was telling
Texas how to run Texas.
“The message was clear,” he said.
“If you expect us to do it your way,
don’t. In our state, we’ll do it the
Texas way, and the Texas way ... is
V.
7
what the local school districts want to
do.”
Bush acknowledged the signing of
the new education code in Henderson
stands out in his memory.
“There’s a great feeling of pride
and purpose when I sign laws that I
know, in my heart of hearts, will
make Texas a better place,” he said.
“As sure as I'm standing here, I
believe we absolutely got it right.
“The new education code says to
the local school boards ... we trust
you to make the right decisions for
your school children ... make sure that
each and every child receives an
excellent education. [It's] flexible
because it lets local people chart their
own course to excellence."
Bush said Senate Bill 1 clarifies the
goal of public education — excel-
lence in core curriculum, basic sub-
Governor in
Sulphur Springs
Gov. George W. Bush visited Hop-
kins County Civic Center Monday
to discuss the latest education bill.
Sulphur Springs was his last stop
around the state Monday before
heading back to Austin. In the
photo at top, Bush poses with the
Houston Elementary School
fourth-grade students involved in
the school’s strings program. In
the photo at left. State Sen. Bill
Ratliff, left, meets up with Bush
before the program began Mon-
day.
Staff Photos By Amy Logan
jects and the basics of “readin',
writin’ and arithmetic.”
Bush said public schools must
focus on new priorities such as educa-
tion and safety.
“We ought to focus on a few things
and have the courage to eliminate
programs that do noUwork,” he said.
He said schools Aould be a safe
place for “teachers to teach and stu-
dents to leant.”
Better tax
method
needed
By KYM KLASS
Gov. George Bush Monday
suggested the time may be at
hand for the state to find an
alternative to its current property
tax system used to fund public
schools.
Bush, speaking at Monday’s
Northeast Texas School Board
Association fall dinner meeting,
said the current practice is a
“lousy way” to fund education.
“I think property taxes ...
ought to be looked at in die state
of Texas,” he said. “I think it’s a
lousy way to run a school sys-
tem. I look forward to working
with the Legislature to explore
wnetner or not tncrr rt a more
suitable alternative, to leak for
real, meaningful property tax
relief for the homeowners in the
state of Texas.”
He added, however, that there
were some options that were
unacceptable.
“There are some parameters
that we must stay within,” he
said. “First and foremost, no park
sonal income tax. “
Second, he added, “this would
not be a tax increase.”
“We’ve got plenty of money
in the state of Texas to meet the
fundamental needs at Texas,” he
said. “This must be a dollar-per-
dollar slot”
“The new education code says we
will not tolerate ... guns, drugs or vio-
lence in the classrooms,” he said.
“If you choose to slap a teacher,
use bad language, break rules, and
consistently misbehave, we are going
to see to it that students go to a differ-
ent type of school, perhaps one
staffed by retired Marine drill
sergeants,” he said. “You laugh, but it
is happening."
Hiring practices getting
scrutiny at City Hall
Dig This
City managers place
little wager on game
By BRUCE ALSOBROOK
City Councilmen Tuesday
approved a revision of the city’s affir-
mative action policy, but not without
a lot of soul searching about past
minority hiring practices.
‘The bottom line is, we’re going to
have to do better in our hiring prac-
tices,” Councilman Valanderous Bell
said during the regular meeting.
City Manager Mare Maxwell said
he’d planned to update the program
next year as part of an overhaul of the
city’s personnel policy. The U.S.
Department of Justice, however,
asked for the changes by Jan. 6 after
the city applied for a funding grant
for the local narcotics task force.
But Bell said he had a problem
with the city’s minority hiring effort,
a concern that was not alleviated
when told only nine of the city’s 135
employees were members of minority
groups, according t* I June Equal
Employment Opportunity Commis-
sion report.
“My point is, out of 135 employees
there are only nine minorities,” Bell
said. “I think we can do better than
that, and I think the city of Sulphur
Springs government needs to set the
tone for other businesses in this city
to follow if we are ever going to
make a progressive change.
“If we don’t set the tone, then we
will always have to be dealing with
issues such as this, and I think now is
the time to start.”
“I agree,” said fellow Councilman
Bill Burney. “I think that is the reason
why we’ve put all this information
together.”
Bell asked Maxwell if the current
policy could not have been given to
council members to review alongside
the revisions. Maxwell said changes
in the policy were not substantive,
however — mostly names and dates
— and “would not have been mean-
ingful.”
“What you’re talking about is not
so much the plan but the implementa-
tion [of the policy]," hejaid.
T think this plan is... written well,”
Bell acknowledged. “But to me. a
plan on paper that is not implemented
doesn't mean a thing.”
Councilmen were told no statistical
breakdown of minority workers on
the city’s payroll was tabulated in
1982, when the original policy was
passed, but Councilman Larry Powers
noted current minority representation
is not indicative of the work force.
“According to the Department of
Labor, 14 percent of the available
work force in Sulphur Springs is male
minority,” he said. “The city of Sul-
phur Springs employs 2 percent.”
Bell also said he had “problems
and concerns” that the policy had not
been reviewed in the 13 years since
its passage.
‘That means that we have not had
any concerns, apparently, with what
has been going on in terms of our
affirmative action program,” Bell
said.
’ Councilman Mike Vaughan said
low turnover rates on the city staff
contributes to the problem of hiring
minorities.
By PAMELIA F. ADAMS
The Sulphur Springs Wildcats and
Mount Pleasant Tigers will decide
more than who’s going to the state
semifinals Saturday. They’ll also
determine whose city manager will
be making road repairs in the vic-
tor's hometown.
It’s all because of a “friendly lit-
tle wager” initiated Monday morn-
ing by Sulphur Springs City Manag-
er Marc Max well
T called to talk to Rick [Chaffin,
Mount Pleasant city manager], but
he wasn't in, so I left a message
with his secretary offering my early
condolences for Mount Pleasant's
impending loss,” Maxwell recalled
Wednesday.
Maxwell said when Chaffin
returned his call, “he popped off a
little bit, and before you knew it we
had a bet ... going.”
Maxwell and Chaffin toyed with
various wagers — shaving brads
Ready,
waiting
Sulphur
Springs City
Manager
Marc
Maxwefl
and. bungee jump- ,
ing off the court- points out a
house, for example painule on
— before deciding S***r“a
the city manager of Wednesday
the losing team
would shovel and PNxa«MCity
pack asphalt to fill
a pothole in the
winning team’s
avftwup*
Chaffins
response to
Maxwell's dare was
oool
“Roll up your
sleeves, Marc, and
prepare to repair
the streets of Mount
Pleasant,” he said.
“We’re aggressively working on
our streets in Mount Pleasant, so I
think we’ll be aide to find just the
right street to put Marc's talents to
good use,” Chaffin said Tuesday.
“Tm not just talking about a little
biggest pothole, on
with the highest
so that we can totally
remind him of tus
Tbcfc. I've sees
that won’t be
Rural News: 4
Club News: 2
Reunions: 3
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Keys, Scott & Lamb, Bill. The Hopkins County Echo (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 200, No. 49, Ed. 1 Friday, December 8, 1995, newspaper, December 8, 1995; Sulphur Springs, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth780807/m1/1/?q=Lamar+University: accessed June 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hopkins County Genealogical Society.